'Magic Mike XXL' Star Joe Manganiello Reveals Alcohol Addiction Struggle! Fiancee Sofia Vergara Keeping Him Grounded
Joe Manganiello has a lot of good things going on for himself lately -- he's engaged to "Modern Family" actress Sofia Vergara and he is one of the lead stars of "Magic Mike XXL." The actor, however, insists that he had to go through hardships before getting into where he is now.
In Haute Living's July/August cover story, Manganiello revealed about his battle with addiction when he was much younger. Read on for some excerpts from his interview with the magazine.
"I battled with addiction at a young age and got to the other side of that," the movie star admitted. "That's an ongoing battle."
Manganiello first spoke about his alcoholism in late 2013 with Huffington Post. According to the actor, being an alcoholic "ruined" a period of his 20s and made him homeless and unemployed. At the time of the interview, he said that he was 20 years sober.
The 38-year-old hunk also mentioned his past struggles in a book he published back then, which was titled "Evolution: The Cutting Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You've Always Wanted," PEOPLE noted.
Manganiello's interview with Haute Living highlighted his relationship with Vergara and how well they go along together. The actor said that they are a "down-to-earth" and "grounded" pair, the magazine noted.
Given that they are both actors, there was a time that Manganiello asked Vergara to read a script for a film that they could do together a la Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in 2003's "Gigli," which flopped in the blockbuster office.
Vergara rejected the notion, and Manganiello realized that his fiancée was right.
"We get along so well together; I'm so lucky to have found that right person for me, and I know she feels the same way," the actor reasons, as quoted by Haute Living. "We're really good with each other. Why risk f***ing that up?"
As for their much-awaited wedding, Manganiello said that they have already picked a date for the momentous event, the magazine wrote. He also describes the wedding planning as really "traditional," with the Colombian beauty in charge of designing.
As for having kids, Manganiello didn't deny that he has always wanted to be a father, but he insists that he respects Vergara's decision if she doesn't want any more children. The actress has a 22-year-old son named Manolo Gonzalez, Us Weekly wrote.
"On a personal level, I can't wait to get married and start a family," Manganiello explained to Haute Living. "It's something that we talked about very early on. I said, 'If you're not having kids, that's cool.' I think Sofia and I are similar in our beliefs and core values, which makes [our relationship] work."